Is bigger better? Marathon organizers weigh the pros and cons of growth

Participation in the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon has expanded steadily in the event's first quarter-century. Officials now ponder how (or if) it might grow - and how to preserve the race's unique, small-city feel.

A RunVermont official holds runners at the start line moments before the horn at the 2012 KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington Sunday, May 27, 2012.

Written by

Free Press Staff Writer

Run Vermont Technical Coordinator Joe Connelly — also the organization's historian and archivist — shows off a piece of Vermont City Marathon history he never thought he'd get his hands on: the original drawing of the first marathon route. / RYAN MERCER/FREE PRESS

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It’s big. But before it gets any bigger, the Keybank Vermont City Marathon will get better, its organizers say.

Several days before the starting horn, amid employees and volunteers coursing through a crowded office suite on Main Street, they explained how the scale of Burlington’s race — its focused intensity in a small, vibrant city — shapes the marathon’s success.

How so?

Some of it boils down to a sense of proportion.

With about 8,000 runners participating, Burlington’s marathon is among America’s top 10 percent in size, said Peter Delaney, the race director and executive director of the marathon’s umbrella organization, RunVermont.

That ranking is “unprecedented,” Delaney said, given the Queen City’s modest size.

Furthermore, the tight configuration of the course, with multiple opportunities to view and cheer athletes, draws consistently large, enthusiastic crowds, he added.

Could the crowds, and the field of contestants become larger?

Maybe, Delaney replied; but what’s the rush?

Kicking the tires

Joe Connelly, the marathon’s technical director and unofficial historian, took time out from wrapping souvenir pint glasses to show visitors several framed maps in his office.

The thick route lines in each share a common feature: They twist and double back within Burlington city limits. And they trace a variety of urban, rural and shoreline landscapes.

The design works, Connelly said, because it hews to the race’s strengths. Growth for growth’s sake is not a priority.

Ditto for tweaks to the route. Historically, changes have taken place in response to shifts in Burlington’s landscape, feedback from contestants and the public, and organizers’ ever-evolving needs for improved logistics and safety.

Changes are considered by race officials perhaps twice a year, Connelly said.

“It starts with a conversation,” he continued. “It’s never about re-inventing the wheel. It’s just pumping up the tires a little.”

Connelly’s advice: The best way to figure the future of the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon is to clock the pace and growth of its host city.

“The question really is, ‘How’s Burlington going to change in the next 25 years?” he said.